Tales of the Cocktail® return for its 19th year in a hybrid digital and in-person format from September 20-23. Headlining the conference will be the Foundation’s signature educational initiatives featuring more than 60 digital seminars that were selected by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Education Committee. Sub-divided into three streams of education: Business, Culture and Beyond the Bar, these committees have worked collectively over the past few months to curate seminars that address the interests, needs, and goals of bartenders from this year’s open call seminar submission process.
Read on as Varia Dellalian – Cultural Advisory Committee and Brand Ambassador from Bacardi talks about the selection process of this year’s seminar slate, our annual theme of COMMUNITY, and lists their must-see digital seminars taking place at Tales of the Cocktail® 2021.
Q: Why are you looking forward to the slated education seminars for Tales of the Cocktail® 2021?
A: I am looking forward to sharing with spirits industry people the great work that’s being done around the world.
Q: What is your definition of COMMUNITY and why do you think it is an important theme for #TOTC2021
A: Community to me means Togetherness. One can grow alone, but cannot flourish without supporting and having the support of others.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about the “Aperiquiz: Aperitivo 101 with fun” seminar?
A: As all the seminars are digital given that we are unable to meet in person this year, I believe adding a fun element to engage with registrants while sharing valuable information will give attendees a unique experience.
Q: What interests you about the “Koji Cocktails, From ‘Simple’ Syrup to Enzyme Magic” seminar?
A: I have never tried KOJI and from the description, it looks so interesting! Plus, I always like to know more about new ingredients and how to use them.
Q: What made you choose “How to Find the True Cost of a Cocktail” as one of your must-see seminars?
A: Every bartender should know this, and as new bartenders are joining the industry, this seminar will truly help attendees have a different perspective whenever they are making drinks or designing menus in the future.
Q: What struck you as important about the “Cocktails and spirits and ADHD: Embracing neuro-diversity behind the bar” seminar?
A: This is a very important topic, the mental health of the employees and how managers affect them with their approach. Managers need to start taking into consideration that every person is different in their unique way. I am looking forward to seeing how this seminar comes to life and hopefully help a lot of people!
Q: What fascinates you about the Bar In-Depth: “Listen Bar, New York, NY” seminar?
A: We all learned over the past year how to help our industry and especially our ars. This topic will help a lot of bartenders that were not working the past year and hopefully motivate them to try new ideas that can work in their countries by possibly opening their own businesses & expanding our industry’s horizon.
Q: Why does it just make sense to include “Breaking Bias – Disrupting Unconscious Decisions That Lead to Unexpected Consequences” on your list of top seminars?
A: The only way to grow & progress in the drinks industry is by respecting each other’s differences and accepting them. Then comes sharing and other stuff. Some markets already highlight these issues and try to work on them and fix them. Many markets – especially in the middle east – are still trying to break these issues and it is very difficult to do so. This seminar is an eye-opener to the industry.
Q: What interested you about “The Mothers of Spirits: the Untold History of Women in the Industry” seminar?
A: We need more stories about women in our industry. In more developed parts of the world women are more respected and appreciated but in so many countries women in our industry are still treated unfairly. The hospitality industry seems to respect women chefs, but not as much as a woman bartender. These kinds of topics showcase that we were there from the beginning!
Q: What are you most excited about in regards to the “What is the real value of baijiu in our cocktail industry and how do we uncover its true potential” seminar?
A: As the industry progresses in trends, bartenders are looking at different ingredients and how they are used. I believe these kinds of seminars are very informative and gives bartenders’ the opportunity to see how others are using certain ingredients which in turn helps them to become more creative.
Add any of these seminars to your agenda, catch up with old friends, learn new techniques, and further your career at Tales of the Cocktail 2021!
You must be of legal drinking age to register and attend this conference and any events associated.
